Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
